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Tuesday, 31 January 2012

The Margherita pizza is one of the most common and widely recognised traditional pizza varieties. It is, quite simply, cheese, tomato and herbs on a tomato sauced pizza base. It's great to serve to kids as it is simple and tasty with uncomplicated flavours. Because it is so simple and very traditional there are a hundred different recipes with slight variations in ingredients used. My recipe will just add to that list.

Step 2 - Place pizza base on a lightly greased pizza tray. Spread pizza sauce over base and sprinkle with dried herbs. Evenly distribute mozzarella and half of the tasty cheese over sauce. Top with cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Step 3 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until base is crisp. Top with basil leaves and serve with a simple, lightly dressed green salad.

Notes:

Amounts of pizza sauce and cheese can be increased or reduced, depending on how saucy or cheesy you like your pizza.

This recipe as been stolen straight from taste.com.au. I first made these about 18 months ago and was so happy with the result I made them three times in one week! Since then, I have made different variations: blueberry with lemon syrup, raspberry with orange syrup, strawberry with lime syrup. Other fruits that can be used include peach, nectrine, apricot, plum, pear, pineapple and orange, to name a few. Even after all of my experimenting, mango is still my favourite.

Ingredients - makes 6

2 large mango, sliced thinly

135g unsalted butter, softened

245g caster sugar

3 eggs

90g plain flour

3 tbs desiccated coconut

1 lime, rind and juice

3 tbs coconut milk

1/2 cup water

double cream, to serve

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a 6 hole Texas muffin tray.

Step 2 - Lay mango slices over the base of each hole. Set aside.

Step 3 - Cream butter and 180g sugar until pale, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold flour into mixture then stir in coconut and lime rind. Add coconut milk and stir until combined. Spoon mixture over mango and bake for 25 minutes.

Step 4 - Combine lime juice, sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Step 5 - Drizzle syrup over cakes while they're in the pan and leave for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack over a tray, to catch the syrup. Serve warm with double cream.

So granita has become my new favourite thing, it is like eating fruit flavoured snow, and I've already considered about 50 different flavour combinations! It's easy to make, just requires a couple of hours at home as it needs your attention for about 1 minute an hour for 6 hours. The great thing is that it can be made the day before and left in the freezer until required.

Ingredients

1/4 watermelon, about 2kg, cubed

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

Step 1 - Place a baking dish in the freezer.Step 2 - Place sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until syrup thickens.Step 3 - Place watermelon and sugar syrup into food processor and process until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and pour into baking dish. Return to freezer.Step 4 - After two hours, remove dish from freezer and run a fork over the surface. Granita should be half frozen so push the edges to the centre, smooth over and return to freezer. Leave for 1 hour then remove and run and fork over the surface. Repeat 2-3 times until granita is frozen into small crystals and there are no lumps. Leave in freezer until required.

Friday, 27 January 2012

I recently served these at a dinner party and recieved the most amazing feedback, the best of all being that they were devoured in seconds. I got the idea after seeing a similar canape from a UK fashion magazines webpage. Unfortunately I can't remember the magazine but I'm glad I stumbled across it as it enabled me to create this.

The pan I used is like a mini dutch pancake pan. It's not a whoopie pie pan or a muffin top pan as they are a bit more square through the base, although these could be used. I've posted a photo so check it out to see the style of pan I used.

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

50g goats cheese

18 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

12 small basil leaves

20g soft butter, to grease pan1 tsp brown sugar

balsamic glaze, to serve (optional)

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230°C. Brush pan well with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Set pastry on bench to thaw.

Step 2 - Place three tomato halves, cut side down, in each hole. Top each with a piece of goats cheese.

Step 3 - Using a 6cm round cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds from pastry sheet. Place a round over each lot of tomato and cheese, tucking it around the sides. Transfer to oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.

Step 4 - Remove pan from oven and gently press each pastry round down into the cheese and tomato (be careful, it's hot!). Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and set.

Step 5 - Using finger tips, gently turn each tarte to loosen it, then slide each tarte from the pan, turning it right way up as you slide it out. If any tomatoes fall out, just pop them back on top. Place on a serving dish and place a basil leaf on each. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if using, and serve immediately.

I have some extended family coming for dinner tonight. Being Maltese, we don't count 2nd or 3rd or how far removed the family member is, everyone is just a cousin. So while I don't know exactly how I am related to these family members, they're cousins and that is all that matters. Okay, so I'm exaggerating but you get the point. Anyway, dinner is going to be a Mexican fiesta of sorts.

We're having:

Cajun Chicken Skewers

Minted Yoghurt

Mexican Salsa

Mexican Rice

Recipes for these will be coming in the following weeks. I'm also whipping up some tomato tarte tatins, watermelon granita and little mango cakes for our appetizers and desserts (yes, desserts is plural!) and these recipes will be posted this week.

I love dips as there are a million different recipes, using thousands of ingredients and hundreds of ways to use them. This Roast Capsicum Dip is spicy and flavoursome, simple and quick to whip up (once the capsicums are roasted). I am yet to serve it as a dip, but I have used it as an element of a canape, the base of a pasta sauce and a flavouring for rice. So it's highly versatile as well as delicious.

Monday, 23 January 2012

I made these recently for a dinner party and they were devoured within seconds. I only had time to take a photo of the last one, but never fear, they were so popular I will surely make them again. They're still being talked about days later.

Step 1 - Bring water and milk to boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and add polenta in a slow steady steam, whisking constantly. Whisk for 4-5 minutes, until thick, remove from heat, add parmesan and butter and stir until combined. Pour into a greased 26cmx16cm slice tin. Set aside for 3-4 hours to firm.

Step 2 - Preheat oven to 230. Spray a flat baking tray with olive oil. Using a 3cm round cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds from the polenta. Place rounds on the tray, spray with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and starting to colour slightly,

Step 3 - Heat a grill or frying pan over high heat and cook chorizo for 1-2 minutes each side until charred. Set aside.

Step 4 - To assemble, place polenta rounds on a serving plate with a slice of chorizo on top. Dollop with capsicum dip and top with a bocconcini half. Serve warm.

Sunday, 22 January 2012

I have a lot of foodie friends, and some friends who aren't so foodie but love to eat, and we love to get together for lengthy dinners. Last time we all got together was for my 25th birthday dinner party back in July - which was kind of the catalyst for me starting this blog. For that dinner, I prepared a five course meal and it was spectacular but I thought I would change things up this time. For this dinner I asked my guests to bring one course each (well, each couple). It made for a very interesting and fun evening full of lots of laughs and delicious food. And when I say lengthy, the appetizers went out at 7:15pm and dessert was served at 11:30pm! Check out some photos from the night.

Friday, 20 January 2012

This is an interesting combination of flavours that takes a bit of getting used to. A friend asked me to make her a watermelon and fetta salad and after some brainstorming and research this is what I came up with.

Ingredients

1/4 watermelon, cubed

50g fetta

a few sprigs of mint, leaves torn

15g pistachio nuts, shelled and roughly chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

extra virgin olive oil

Step 1 - Place watermelon in a large bowl with pistachio nuts and mint leaves.Step 2 - Crumble fetta over the top, squeeze lime juice and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Haloumi and zucchini are a match made in foodie heaven. So I put them together on some bruschetta. This is quick to throw together, tastes amazing and will make you super popular when you serve it to your friends...if you can bear to let other people eat them.

Ingredients

250g haloumi, sliced thinly

2 zucchini, cut into thin slices lengthwise

1 tbs oregano, finely chopped

1/4 lemon, juiced

1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal

1-2 cloves garlic

olive oil, to drizzle

salt and pepper, to season

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230°C. Place baguette slices on a tray and bake for 7-8 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven and rub each slice with garlic clove. Set aside.

Step 2 - Heat a grill pan over high heat. Season zucchini slices with salt and cook for 1-2 minutes each side until cooked through and charred. Remove from pan and cook haloumi for 1-2 minutes each side until golden.

Step 3 - To assemble, place bread on a serving plate and layer zucchini and haloumi. Sprinkle with oregano, squeeze lemon juice, drizzle olive oil and season with pepper. Serve warm.

Tuesday, 17 January 2012

So, slightly un-food related, however, my best friend recently became and nail tech and did my nails today so he can practice on different shapes or nails beds or techniques or something like that. I think they're beautiful but how am I going to cook in them??? Also, I'm finding typing difficult and considering I was going to post four recipes this week there will be a lot of typing. Check them out...

About Me

Hi, I'm Gorgeous George, an Australian of Maltese descent, living on the Central Coast of NSW. The Central Coast is located north of Sydney and south of Newcastle.
I consider myself to be a masterchef in my own kitchen and I love to cater events for my family, my friends and myself.
My food philosophy is - why buy it premade when I can make it better myself! If I don't know how, I research recipes and practice until perfect.
I still have so much to learn...